Means and method of heading and pointing blanks



Nov. 25, 1941. R, L, WILCOX 2,263,832

MEANS AND METHOD OF HEADING AND POINTING BLANKS Filed Jan. 18. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Richard LeskrM/ilcox ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 25, 1941 MEANS AND METHOD OF HEADING AND POINTING BLANKS Richard Lester Wilcox, Waterbury, Conn, as-

signor to The Waterbury Farrel Foundry and Machine Company, Waterbury, Cnn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 18, 1941, Serial No. 375,054

22 Claims.

This invention provides a new and improved means and method of heading and pointing blanks and apparatus therefor.

Heretofore one method utilized for this purpose is to form a head .on the end of a rigidly held wire length projecting in front of dies of the open type. After the head is formed the wire length is advanced between the dies, then opened slightly for the purpose, until sufficient thereof projects in. front of the dies to form a complete blank, plus a sufiicient length to provide material for the head of the next succeeding blank. The heading dies close, thusgripping the wire against movement. The pointing tools pinch off the headed blank from the wire length, leaving sufficient wire projecting in front of theheading dies to provide material for the head on the next succeeding blank. This practice is objectionable, among other things, because the length of the blanks, under the head, varies too widely, if chips resulting from the pinching operation should remain on the wire length, as occasionally happens, and they are liable to plug or fill the recess on the punch. Again, a chip remaining on the wire length may prevent the forming of a perfect head upon the wire length. In such case only a portion of the head is integral with the wire length, and the other portion, originally the chip, falls away from the integral portion, leaving an imperfect head and blank.

Another method in more or less common use is the production of a headed blank on a conventional header, which is then transferred to a pointing machine. In such machine the blanks are separately conveyed from a hopper into the notches of a dial that carries the blanks successively to the stationary half of a pair of pointing tools. When so positioned the other half of the pointing tool advances and forms the point on the blank. Here the product also varies too much in length and the points are not always concentric with the axis of the blank, largely due to the fact that one-half of the pointing tool is stationary, the other half movable, and the blank will commonly incline or tilt over during the pointing operation. With this method, short length blanks cannot be operated on.

In the invention herein the above and other difficulties are obviated, both heading and pointing are performed on one machine, blanks of very short length, as Well as long blanks may be produced, the headed blank is carried directly to the pinching tools, and the pointed portion of each blank is absolutely central and concentric with the axis of the blank. Each blank is. definitely accurate as to length, which is important, especially when a thread is to be rolled thereon and particularly in the manufacture of gimlet pointed screws. In such a case a trifling variation in length will result in an imperfect product, the pointed end being either blunt or formed with aprojecting feather of metal on the end of the blank, known as a Whisker, indicating that there has been too little or too much metal in the blank to form a proper gimlet point screw. In this invention the chips are stripped from the blank as it is ejected from the tools, the chips or surplus metal being delivered to a receptacle distant from that for the finished blanks. The product of this invention is of very high quality and is manufactured at a speed much greater than possible under the present methods.

An object of this invention is to provide mechanism wherein blanks are pointed and headed or not, as desired, much more rapidly than heretofore, and of a higher quality, each blank having a perfect point, both as to concentricity and taper; to accomplish these objects with mechanism of simple construction that may be readily assembled; and to-provide tools thatwill have a relatively long life, and. wherein the blanks will all be of exactly uniform length, including the point thereon, the output of such mechanism being blanks of very high quality that are fabricated at a greater speed than heretofore possible.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent or referred to from the following description of one form thereof, and as shown in the accompanying drawings. 7

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several figures:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a header, upsetting machine or the like embodying the invention herein described; V Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse fragmentary sectional view thereof, the parts in section being taken generally upon line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure3 is a front view of the die block and .adjacent parts, the parts in section being taken Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, with a modified form of punch mechanism;

Figure 9 is a view of a portion of the tool holder and the pinching jaws in their relative open positions, the parts in section being taken generally upon line 9-9 of Figure '7;

Figure 10 is a similar view with the pinching jaws in their relative closed position;

Figure 11 is a view of the pinching jaws in the position substantially as shown in Figure 9, and a modified form of jaw holder; I

Figure 12 is a detailed perspective view of the jaw holder;

Figures 12 and 12 the pinching jaws, separated so as to expose the faces" thereof;

Figure 12 is a view of the tool holder;

Figure 13 is a modified form of punch;

Figure 14 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the pinching jaws in their closed position; Figure 15 is a view of a' headed blank; and Figure 16 isa view of the blank just before the samehas been completely pointed and just before the surplus metal or chips formed by the pinching operation are separated therefrom.

In the practice of this invention a header, 51

which may be of any conventional form and operation, may be used, such a header, for illustration, being shown in Patent No. 1,968,921, issued to the applicant herein for Header or upsetting machine, on August 7, 1934. Such header includes a body or frame It, having a gate or slide .an upsetting die 20. Movable across the face of the die block is the cutter 2| ,connected with a cutter bar 22..

The product of this new and improved means and method is preferably made from a wire length 23 which is intermittently advanced by feed rollers 24 through the cut-off die I9 until the inner end thereof engages thestop 25. The cut off portion of the wire length is carried by the cutter 2| from the cut-off die |9 to the upsetting die 29. The headed blank is carried by transfer mechanism 26 from the upsetting die 20 to the opening 44 in the pinching jaw holder.

'Any form of transfer mechanism may be used.

For the purpose of illustration I have shown a portion of the transfer mechanism illustrated in the above patent.

The blank is projected into the upsetting die 20 with its'rear end engaging the outer end of the knockout pin 21 and the other end thereof projecting beyond the face of the die. In this po- 'sition the blank is engaged by the punch 28" which upsets and partially'forms 'a head upon the outer end thereof. Thereafter the upset portion is engagedby the punch 29 and the head completed. The punches successively register with the blank in the upsetting die bytimed movement of the punch block I4 across the face of the gate H by the mechanism I5.

The mechanism above described,- both as to form and operation, i well known and requires no further detailed description here.

Secured by screws 3| or the like to the die block |1 is'a tool holder 30, the lips 32 of which projectinto a recess inthe die block and whereby the tool holderv will maintain its relative position on the die block. Between the" lips 32 is an opening 33, the walls 34 of which incline outwardly toward the front end of the tool holder. In the bottom of the opening 33, and adjacent to the walls 34, are two grooves 35, the outer wall of each being an extension of the walls 34 (see Fig. 12). There are two pinching jaws 36, the inner faces 3'! and outer faces 38 thereof being at an angle to each other. Each jaw has a lip 39, one wall of which is an extension of the outer face 38. The jaws are mounted on the tool holder 35, substantially as shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11, with the lips 39 projecting into the grooves 35, and the faces 38 thereon having a sliding engagement against tool holder walls 34. In each jaw face 31 is a recess 46 and between the recess and the front of the jaw is a semi-circular recess 41, the walls of which are parallel for the greater portion of their length but taper toward each other and terminate at a point at its inner end. Such tapered or pointed recess walls correspond in length and angle with the tapered portion of the blank. The walls 68 of the recess 46 occupy an angular relation to the angular walls of the tapered or pointed portion of the recess 47, thus providing a sharp shearing edge for such tapered or pointed recess portion. The pinching jaws 36 move toward each other as they travel in one direction within the tool holder by reason of the engagement of walls 38 with walls 34 and away from each other as they travel in the opposite direction. In Figure 9 the pinching jaws are shown in their open position, and in their closed position in Figure 10.

The pinching jaws are assembled in a jaw holder 49 of substantially U-shape, between the lip 4| at the front end of the holder and the lip 42 at 'the rear end. The jaw holder is movably mounted in a'recess in the die block I1 and in that portion of the opening 33 in the tool holder 39 having parallel walls 43. An opening 44 in the lip 4| is of such size as to permit the workpiece to pass freely therethrough and an opening 45 in the lip 42 is of sufiicient size to receive the knockout mechanism hereinafter described. The extent of movement of the tool holder is limited by the stop pin 69 fixed therein and projecting into a recess 10 in the die holder [1 (Figs. 7 and 8).

In the frame ID at the rear of the backing plate 49 is a cup 50 which houses a coil spring 5| that passes through an opening in the backing plate and exerts a yielding tension against the jaw holder 4|].

A knockout rod 52 functions in a well known manner and threaded therein is a knockout pin 53, the forward end of which passes through the opening 45 in the jaw holder 40 and registers with the recess 48 in the dies 36.

Within a punch sleeve 54, fixed in the punch holder, is a punch 55, urged outwardly by a spring 56. The workpiece is carried from the upsetting dielfl by transfer mechanism 26 or the like into line with the opening 44 in the jaw holder. When in register therewith the punch 55 engages the head of the blank and projects it through the said opening until the underside of the head engages the lip 4|. During this movement the transfer mechanism 26 is withdrawn and the jaws 36 are in their open position (Fig. 9). Through the action of the gate the punch 54 is withdrawn and the punch sleeve 58 is moved into line with the blank. Within this punch sleeve is a punch 59, urged outwardly by a spring 6| until a shoulder 60 thereon ngag'es'a shoulder on the sleeve. During the continued forward movement of the gate thepunch sleeve 58 engages the jaw holder 40 and moveslit inwardly against the tension of the spring By this action the pinching jaws 36 move toward each other, during which time the edges of the tapered portion of each recess 47 engages and pinches the inner end of the blank therebetween. The excess material 63 formed by this action accumulates upon opposite sides of the blank, substantially as shown in Figure 16. Short blanks are accommodated by providing a recess H in the face of the lip 4| of the jaw holder 40 and moving the position of the recesses 46 and 41 in the pinching jaws toward the outer end thereof, substantially as shown in Figure 11.

Experiments have demonstrated that a better product will be produced and longer life given to the tools if the blank, when the pinching jaws engage it, is permitted to fioat axially, that is, slightly endwise, than if held rigidly. To provide for such a movement, the punch 59 will yield against the tension of the spring 6! until the underside of the head is spaced a limited distance from the tool holder. The extent of this floating or axial movement is determined by the dies but is not very great. After the pinching jaws have moved to their closed position, substantially as shown in Figure 10, the gate is withdrawn, carrying with it punch sleeve 58 and punch 59. The spring 5! urges the jaw holder 40 outwardly and the pinching jaws are moved to their open position, substantially as shown in Figure 9. The knockout pin 53 engages the pointed end of the blank and projects it through the opening 44 in the jaw holder 40, and now being free, drops into a receptacle conveniently arranged to receive it. Normally the excess material which is formed by the punching dies falls away from the blank when the dies are closed. However, should the dies become dull or worn so that the edges do not quite meet, then the chip or excess material might cling to the blank and will be stripped therefrom as the same is being ejected from the holder. The chips 63 as they leave the blank drop between the walls of the recess 46 into a fixed guide chute 65 into a chute 66 which conveys the chips into a suitable receptacle. V

A blast of air, from any convenient mechanism, is supplied through the openings 64 in the die block ll and recess 46 which carries away any free metal or chips, keeping the pinching jaws clear and assisting gravity to carry the chips through their defined path. Thus the dies are kept clear of chips and the latter are separated from the finished product.

In Figure 13 is shown a modified form of punch mechanism to be substituted, if desired, for that shown in Figure 8. This modified form differs from the described form, in that the punch 59 has a shank portion 6?, which in one of its positions engages a fixed part. This part, as shown, is the backing plate 49 which limits the rearward movement of the punch 59 within the enclosing sleeve. The extent of the floating or axial movement of the blank caused by the pinching dies, is substantially uniform in successive blanks. The tension of the spring 56, or the spring 6!, as the case may be, is generally sufficient to prevent any excess fioating. However, as it is desirable, in some cases, that the length of the shank of the blank, including the tapered portion, should be definitely uniform in successive blanks, the means just described have been provided to accomplish such result.

It is apparent that some changes from the specific construction herein disclosed may be made,

and therefore, do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form of construction shown and described but desire the liberty to make such changes in working this invention as may fairly come within. the spirit and scope of theappended claims. 7

What I claim is:

1. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with means for forming a head upona blank; spaced dies for pointing the blank; and a transfer device for carrying'the blanks from the upsetting mechanism to the pointing dies.

2. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with means for forming a head upon a blank; spaced dies for pointing the blank; holding means for the blank *atthe spaced dies that will permit a limited axial movement relative thereto; andtransfer means for carrying'the blank from the heading mechanism 'to' the holding means. r 1

3. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with means for forming ahead upon one end of a blank; pinching mechanism for pointing the opposite end of the blank; and carrying means for transferring the blank from the heading means to the pinching mechanism.

4. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with means for forming a head upon' a blank; pinching dies for-pointing the blank; means for holding the blank at the pinching dieswhich will permit a free and limited axial movement when the blank is engaged by the dies; and carrying means for transferring the blank from the heading means to the holding means.

5. In mechanism for pointing a blank, comprising in part pinching dies, each having a recess in the working face-thereof, means forholding a blank between the dies, said pinching dies moving toward and away from each other while traveling in a path substantially parallel with the axis of theblank. 1

6. In mechanism for pointing ablank, comprising in part pinching dies, each having a recess in the working face thereof means for projecting and holding a blank therebetween, wherein the blank will be free for limited axial movement, said pinching dies moving toward and away from each other while traveling in a path substantially parallel with the axis of the blank.

7. In mechanism for pointing a blank, comprising in part pinching dies each having a recess in the working face thereof, means for holding a blank suspended between the working faces'of the dies against lateral movement but free for limited axial movement, and means for moving each of the dies toward each other until their working faces are in engagement and whereby during each movement theinner end of the blankis pointed by the dies.

8. In mechanism for pointing a blank, comprising in part pinching dies, each having a reoess in the working face thereof, means for projecting a blank between the working faces of the dies, means for holding the blank suspended in such position that will permit axial movement of the blank, and m'eans fo'r'moving each-of the dies toward and away from the suspended blankand by their engagement therewith pointing the inner end of the blank.

9. In mechanism for pointing a blank, comprising in part pinching dies, each having a recess in the working face thereof, means for projecting and holding a blank between the working faces of the dies and permitting limited axial movement of the blank, and means for moving the dies toward and away from the blank and by their engagement therewith pointing the irmer end of the blank, said projecting means comprising in part a sleeve, and a punch or the like within the sleeve mounted for relative movement.

10. In mechanism for pointing a blank, comprising in part pinching dies, each having a recess in the working face thereof, means for projecting and holding a blankv between the working faces of the dies and permitting limited axial movement of the blank, and means for moving the dies toward and away from the blank and by their engagement therewith pointing the inner end of the blank, said projecting means comprising in part a sleeve, and a punch or the like within the sleeve mounted for predetermined relative movement.

11. In mechanism for pointing a blank; plural pinching dies; a holder therefor wherein the dies means for moving the holder and dies as a unit relatively to the tool holder.

12. In mechanism for pointing a blank; plural pinching dies; a holder therefor wherein the dies are held against relative endwise movement but free to move laterally toward and away from each other; a fixed tool holder which guides the pinching dies toward and away from each other; means for moving the holder and dies as a unit relatively to the tool holder; and stop means for limiting the extent of movement of the holder and dies.

13. In mechanism for pointing a blank; plural pinching dies; a lipped holder therefor wherein the dies are held against relative endwise movement between the holder lips but free to move laterally toward and away from each other; and a fixed tool holder which guides the pinching dies toward and away from each other.

14. In mechanism for pointing a blank; plural pinching dies; a holder therefor wherein the dies 1 are held against relative endwise movement but free to move laterally toward and away from each other; a fixed tool holder which guides the pinching dies toward and away from each other, each of said dies having an intermeshing engagement with the tool holder; and means for moving the holder and dies as a unit relatively to the tool holder.

15. In mechanism for pointing a blank; plural pinching dies; a holder therefor wherein the, dies are held against relative enclwise movement but free to move laterally toward and away from each other; and a fixed tool holder having converging walls engaged by the pinching dies and whereby the pinching dies are guided toward and away from, each other during their movement within the tool holder.

16. In mechanism for pointing a blank; plural pinching dies, each having a recess in the working face thereof; a holder for, the dies wherein the dies are held against relative endwise movement but free to movelaterally toward and away from each other, said holder having an opening substantially the diameter of the blank and concentric with the recesses in the die when the working faces thereof are in engagement with each other.

1'7. In mechanism for pointing a blank; plural pinching dies, each having a recess in the Working face thereof; a holder for the dies wherein the dies are held against relative endwise movement but free to move laterally toward and away from each other, said holder having an opening substantially the diameter of the blank and concentric with the recesses in the dies when the working faces thereof are in engagement with each other; and knockout means which ejects the blank from the holder after the same has been pointed.

18. In mechanism for pointing a blank; plural pinching dies, each having a recess in the working .face thereof; a holder for the dies wherein the dies are held against relative endwise movement but free to move laterally toward and away from each other, said holder having an opening substantially the diameter of the blank and concentric with the recesses in the dies when the Working faces thereof are in engagement with each other; and knockout means which ejects the blank from the holder after the same has been pointed, the excess material formed by the pointing dies and remaining on the blank being stripped therefrom as the same is being ejected from the holder and falling by gravity out of the path of the dies.

19. In mechanism for pointing a blank; a tool holder having converging grooves therein; a plurality of pinching dies, each die having a portion thereon projecting into the said groove and a recess in the working face thereof; a die holder within which the dies are held against endwise movement but free to move laterally; means for positively moving the die holder in one direction; and yielding means for moving the die holder in the opposite direction.

20. In mechanism for pointing a blank; a tool holder having converging grooves therein; a plurality of pinching dies, each die having a portion thereon projecting into th said groove and a recess in the working face thereof; a die holder within which the dies are held. against endwise movement but free to move laterally; means for positively moving the die holder in one direction; yielding means for operating the die holder in the opposite direction; and unitary means for projecting the blank between the dies and moving the die holder,

21. The method of heading and pointingblanks, consisting of first forming a head on one end of a blank, then transferring the same to pinching dies which approach the blank from opposite sides thereof. and by engagement therewith point that end of the blank opposite from the head thereof, during which time the blank is held so that when first engaged by the pinching dies it will have alimited axial movement.

22. In mechanism-of the character described, the combination with a die block; of a tool holder secured thereto; a plurality of pinching dies movable in the tool holder; and a die holder, within which the pinching dies are mounted, being held against relative endwise movement, but movable toward and away from each other.

RICHARD LESTER WILCOX. 

